


In Coastal Waters

by TaraHarkon



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Abuse, Blupjeans AU Boogaloo 2019, Coercion, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Manipulation, Selkies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 07:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18383783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraHarkon/pseuds/TaraHarkon
Summary: Lup and Taako had planned to spend the summer kicking back before they moved on to the next stage of their lives. Neither of them expected what Lup found on the beach that day.Barry had been living like this for several years now, trying to find a path to escape every chance he could. But there's only so much you can do when you're a selkie and an elf named Edward has your seal coat.





	In Coastal Waters

Lup was bored. It wasn't that she was lacking things to do, it was more that none of those things sounded any good. After all, Taako was constantly busy with the guy he'd met at the coffee shop which left her at loose ends. And this was supposed to be their summer. The big summer before the two of them went their separate ways at least for a while. She was going off for a year at sea and his cooking show was finally hitting the point where he was going to be traveling to do live shows instead of just being a face on youtube. 

But all of that did absolutely nothing to alleviate the fact that, right now, she was bored. She made her way down the sand, kicking at the smooth, round stones that the tide had washed up. Taako had promised they would get dinner together later but right now she was alone with the sound of the waves and her thoughts. She bent down to pick up a flat stone, considering whether or not she thought she might be able to skip it. Then she looked up again and frowned. She could see someone standing silhouetted against the surf. As she walked closer, she could see that it was a man with short curly hair and glasses, his jeans soaked nearly to the knee as he let the waves lap against his legs. He was wearing a white t-shirt and a denim jacket lay back in the dry sand. 

For a moment, she hesitated, feeling oddly like she was intruding on something as he stared out into the ocean. He looked like a man who had lost something, someone, like someone who stood at a breaking point and she felt oddly like he might just walk into the ocean and never come back. It was that thought that broke her silence and she walked up, shucking her boots and socks before she headed down into the water as well.

The ocean was chilly, especially in contrast to the heat of the day. It was nice though. Turning, she gave the man standing beside her a smile.

"Nice day, huh?"

He blinked a few times, almost as though he was startled.

"Uh... yeah. Yeah, it is. The ocean's beautiful today."

His tone was wistful and Lup's ears flicked back, her tail flicking back and forth over the top of the waves.

"Sure is. Do you come here often?" She paused and then laughed, almost embarrassed. "Sorry, take that slightly less flirty than it could've sounded. Unless you want to take it the flirty way and then absolutely feel free to do so."

The man looked startled and then laughed. He pulled his gaze away from the ocean and smiled at her.

"I uh... I do, actually. I live around here." He paused for a moment and then held out his hand. "I'm Barry."

She took his hand.

"Lup. I'm just a summer blow-in, I suppose. But I'm always down to talk seas and oceans. I'm a marine biologist."

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Lup turned to stare back out at the ocean and she missed the bright smile that crossed Barry's face.

"Really? What sort of things do you study? Do you have a specialty?"

She laughed again.

"Slow down there, my guy. I only just graduated. I'm headed out on my first ship as Doctor Lup instead of just Intern Lup. But I... I really like aquatic mammals, you know? I did a lot of stuff as an undergrad helping out with whale tracking and seal lion observation. We're actually heading out to do more of the same."

She did look at him then and caught the little smile that still remained on his face.

"That sounds great. I uh... I've got a soft spot for seals." He paused for a moment, looking out at the water again. "There's actually a pod that lives near here. Sometimes, they come up onto this beach. Not today though. Something... something happened and they've been staying away."

Her tail lashed, the fluffy tip splashing in the water.

"What happened? Don't tell me someone was poaching or so help me-"

"No, no, nothing like that. No... Just..."

He was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of a stock ringtone, one of the defaults most people changed away from in the first minutes of owning a phone. Not Barry apparently, as he pulled his phone out with a grimace.

"Hey."

He looked down, listening for a long moment. Then he nodded.

"Yeah... yeah, I'll be home soon. I'll see you then."

When he hung up, he tucked the phone back in his pocket and looked at Lup almost sadly.

"Sorry, I have to go. That was uh... my... my boyfriend. He wants me to come home and..." He looked back out at the ocean. "I'll be back tomorrow if you uh... if you want to talk about the sea more. It's always nice to talk to people who... who understand, you know?"

Boyfriend, huh? She looked him over, ears flicking back as she considered. He hadn't looked happy answering the phone. And yet...

"Yeah, sure. I'll be around. See you tomorrow, Barry."

He gave her a little smile and turned to go. He picked up the denim jacket and slung it around his shoulders as he walked. It was only when he was all the way up the beach that Lup noticed something odd. With a little frown, she followed his footsteps a bit up the beach. He hadn't stopped to put on shoes, but that was only a little odd. The truly odd part was that all of his footprints, even up in the dry sand, were full of water.

* * *

Barry pushed the door open and hung his jacket on the peg. He could hear noises in the kitchen and headed that way. The elf at the stove turned and gave him a smile.

"Bar, there you are. I was worried."

Barry slid his arms around his boyfriend's waist and rested his head against his shoulder.

"Sorry, Edward. I was at the beach."

Edward made a noncommittal noise and then turned, putting an arm around Barry's waist.

"I thought I told you not to do that anymore. Standing out there and staring at the ocean isn't going to bring the seals back."

Barry winced a little and then nodded.

"I... I know, Ed, I know. I just... I miss it."

Edward's grip on Barry's waist tightened, pulling him closer.

"But you live with me now. And we're  _ happy _ . And that's that. Got it?"

Nodding, Barry leaned against Edward again, doing his best to keep the sorrow out of his voice.

"Y-yeah... I know, and... and I am. I am happy, Ed."

Edward smiled and pressed a kiss to Barry's cheek.

"Good. Now go get cleaned up. Dinner will be on the table soon. And then I thought maybe you and I could watch a movie."

"Sounds great."

Barry pulled away and headed to go take a shower. At least he could pretend things were normal with his eyes closed and the water pouring over his head. It was almost like being home. Almost.

* * *

The very next day, Lup found Barry on the seashore again. He was sitting in the sand this time, just shy of the waterline. It was quiet with only the gulls crying far overhead and she hesitated, not sure if she should intrude on him. But then he looked back and smiled.

"I saw one of the seals earlier. Bet if you stuck around, you might get to see them too."

That was invitation enough for Lup and she sat on the sand beside him, her knees pulled up to her chest. 

"Sounds baller. What sort of seal? I realized I didn't ask last time."

Barry had a huge smile on his face as he stared out at the horizon.

"Harbor seals." He gestured. "I saw one pop up out of the water over there but she's gone now."

Lup's ears flicked back and she looked at him curiously.

"She?" For just a moment, she was certain Barry had looked embarrassed or... almost like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "Are you sure?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, a little smile crossing his face.

"I've been seeing her for a long time. I uh... I recognized her markings and I saw her with a pup once. It was years ago, but I remembered."

Lup absolutely lit up and she leaned towards him, excitement on her face.

"You've been seeing the same pod here for years? And you saw young? Are you telling me this is a breeding ground because that is the most rad thing ever. I'll have to bring my camera and a notebook and all the good shit... See if I can't do a little documenting while I'm on my vacay, you know?"

She looked so happy at the idea that Barry couldn't help but smile back.

"That sounds like a real good time. I could give you a hand, if you wanted."

Lup hesitated for just a moment, remembering their first conversation. She liked this guy and she loved the idea of getting to do some science with another person who cared about the sea as much as she did, but she wasn't fond of her first impressions of his boyfriend. She'd seen controlling before and avoided it like the plague. This boyfriend seemed like the controlling type, especially with how unhappy Barry had been to get that phone call. 

But then again, maybe a little summer seal science was what they both needed. A chance to unwind and she could get away from her brother and his coffeeshop boyfriend Kravitz and a chance for Barry to relax and do something he obviously loved. And maybe, if Barry was in as bad a relationship as she thought, she could give him some advice. After all, hadn't she been there before with her last boyfriend? Greg had been a piece of work but at least she had a good idea how to help someone else who was in the same sort of situation. 

"Absolutely. Sounds rad."

* * *

The next day, Lup met the boyfriend and she had to say, she wasn't impressed. The door to the small cafe just outside the bed and breakfast where she and Taako were staying banged open and Barry followed a lithe elven man out and onto the sidewalk.

"Honestly, Barry, the nerve of some people. You'd think I asked for the moon when all I wanted was my coffee made  _ properly _ ."

He was gesturing irately and nearly smacked Taako without even looking. Barry was trailing after him, cheeks red and his head down.

"Ed, it wasn't that big a deal. They... they fixed it. And..."

"Sure, they fixed it. Eventually. After I demanded they get it right. It really shouldn't be that hard for someone purporting to be a barista to know the difference between a cortado and a cappuccino."

Lup grabbed her brother by the arm and tugged him back between the two buildings, watching as Edward turned away from the paths down to the beach and headed up towards the larger homes on the cliff that overlooked the ocean at a distance. Barry's shoulders were slumped and he looked utterly miserable. Lup almost wanted to go give 'Ed' a piece of her mind for being such a shit bag. And didn't Barry know that the kind of guy who would treat a server like that was just going to do the same to him eventually? 

Taako leaned against the wall, ears flicked back as he watched with curiosity.

"Well, fuck, and here I thought  _ I  _ was high maintenance. I'm going to have to completely recalibrate because that guy was on a whole other level. Also, can we just talk for about the fact that he apparently doesn't move his tail while he's walking because that's weird as fuck?"

Lup nodded just slightly, her own ears pinned back.

"We'll ignore the part where that means you were checking out his ass." She tried to let the joke disguise her own irritation even though she knew perfectly well that her brother would see through her. He always did. "The human's the one I've been talking to, the guy who likes seals."

Taako looked his sister over and then frowned, worry in his eyes.

"Lulu, I know that look. That's the rescuing orphan baby animals face. That's the protesting injustice face. He's a whole grown-ass human. You can't just... fuckin' adopt someone's human because you think they're a shitty boyfriend, Lulu."

Lup's tail lashed and she took a step back almost defensively.

"Hey now, no one said anything about any of that, Koko. I just know a shitty situation when I see it and if maybe I give Barry a nudge in the right direction and maybe he decides to go, that's not my problem. Okay?" Then she grinned slowly. "Anyway, did you see that little twink? I could take him. No contest."

Taako snorted but he relaxed visibly.

"Fine, whatever, if that's how you wanna spend your vacay then who the fuck am I to stop you? You were gonna do nerd shit anyway."

Lup hooked her arm in his as she stepped back out onto the sidewalk.

"I'll spend my summer doing what I want and you spend yours doing what you want. Speaking of which, tell me some more about hottie mcgoth pants."

* * *

Edward was out of the house that afternoon, gone to visit his twin at her house up the coast a ways, and that meant Barry was doing what he always did when he knew the house would be empty: ripping through every conceivable hiding place. It had to be here somewhere, the sealskin that Edward had stolen from him that day on the beach had to be here somewhere. If only he knew where to look. The contents of every drawer of the dresser and the entire closet lay across the bed now but he'd found nothing. Granted, Barry should probably have known better than to think Edward would hide it somewhere that Barry would be likely to look. Maybe the basement. There were spiders down there and the crawl space was dark, Edward knew that was the kind of place Barry would never go.

He leaned against the wall, scrubbing at his face for a long moment. He was getting nowhere fast and he had no idea when Edward would be home. And he really needed to put everything back so Edward wouldn't realize he'd been searching again. The last thing he wanted was for Edward to find out and maybe hide it better. And on top of all of that, he was supposed to go meet up with Lup again and start working on documenting the local seal population. He was fairly certain most of the other selkies would stay far away but there was the lingering hope that his mother would come back again. After all, Marlena had been just beyond the horizon the other day even with Lup there. Maybe she would come back again. 

He heard a car pass outside and froze, counting the seconds as he waited to see if he would hear the front door opening. Twenty nine... thirty... thirty one... Nothing. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and grabbed a fistful of hangers. Time to start putting things away. If he had time, he would check the crawl space before he headed to the beach. A pity he couldn't swim without his coat or he would just wash off at the beach. He hung yet another one of Edward's shirts back into the closet and closed his eyes. He missed the feeling of water surrounding him and buoying him, the rush of diving headlong into the currents.

He had just tucked the last pair of jeans back into his own drawer when he heard the familiar beeping song from his phone. He fished it out and looked at the screen before sighing. He wasn't sure why he was surprised, honestly, Edward was the only one who ever called him. 

"Hey Ed."

He could hear Lydia laughing in the background and the clink of glass. Then Edward's voice came through, just slightly slurred with whatever they were drinking.

"Bear-Bear! Just letting you know I'm going to be late tonight. Lydia got a delightful new wine and we got around to dishing the gossip. So I'll see you in the morning. Sound good, babe?"

Barry adjusted his glasses, wondering if Edward realized the opportunity he was giving him.

"Yeah, that's fine, Ed. Have fun. Tell Lydia I said hi."

"Yeah, yeah, will do, babe. Have fun. See you tomorrow."

Barry could hear a few other voices in the background and sighed. He wondered sometimes if Edward really thought he believed all the lies or if he'd decided just not to care. Well, either way, at least none of this was real. If it was real, then maybe Barry's heart would ache now instead of soaring with excitement as he realized he had so much more time to search.

"See you tomorrow, Ed."

He hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket, a slow smile crossing his face. Time to check the attic and the basement. Then he could start checking even stranger places. Then a cold feeling of fear shot through him. What if Edward was so confident in just leaving him home alone because his coat wasn't even here? That idea dragged him right down in the depths and he sat down on the edge of the bed hard. What if Edward had hidden it somewhere that Barry didn't even know about? 

Before he could descend too far into his misery, though, the sound of the doorbell rang out through the house. With a sigh, Barry got up and went to open the door. There weren't many people he could think of he would be here to visit, particularly not with Edward home. It wasn't like he had friends, really. To his surprise, he found Lup standing there with a smile on her face and a bag of takeout in her hands. 

"Hey, I hope this is alright. I sort of looked you up when you didn't show up at the beach and-"

"When I...?"

Barry trailed off, suddenly realizing how much later it was than he'd thought. How long had he been trying to fit clothes back into the closet?

"No, no, this is great. I uh... Did you want to come in? I uh... I mean, Ed's not home so it would just be us and..."

Lup gave him a grin and held up the bag.

"Cool, because I only brought enough for two. I hope you like burgers."

* * *

Barry dropped into a seat at the kitchen table and leaned back. Lup was looking around, curiosity on her face as she took in everything. It was like a style magazine had vomited a kitchen, up to and including the various signs hanging that said things like "I love cooking with wine, sometimes it even goes in the food" and "Let's drink wine and talk shit." She paused and stared at the wine holder on the counter. It was an iridescent blue and gold peacock with a bottle of red wine held in the plumage. For a long moment, Lup just stared at that. Then she shook her head and sat opposite Barry.

"Your boyfriend's got a heck of a sense of style, my guy. Very... 'I'd like to speak with your manager'. Getting serious wine mom vibes."

Barry couldn't help but grin. Her assessment was entirely accurate.

"Yeah, that's uh... that's pretty much right. Ed's uh... he's pretty unique." It was hard for him to say things about Edward that could be construed as negative, a side effect of an order from early on. "He's alright though. Once you get to know him."

Lup raised an eyebrow, trying to decide whether she should say something or not. After a long moment and a few more fries, she opted for not. Not yet, not until she had the right words to give him, not until she knew the right way to give him a path out. Not until she knew he wanted that path out. 

"Sure. And maybe one of these days I'll even meet him. Until then, I'm going to assume he wears leggings as pants and takes a yoga class on the beach."

Barry snorted a laugh, putting a hand up to cover his mouth. 

"You've got him perfect. Seriously." He reached for his soda and gave her a smile. "So, about the seals. What'd you have in mind?"

Lup reached for her backpack and pulled out a spiral bound notebook with a pen jammed in the binding.

"I was figuring documentation to start. Just sort of figuring out who all's in the area and getting an idea of how many. Then we can look at habits. I'd love to figure out why they're not coming up on the beach because that is primo sunning territory, my guy."

Barry considered that while Lup fished around in her backpack for a battered polaroid camera and set it down on the table.

"Sounds good to me. And we can take pictures to put with each file? Perfect. When did you wanna start?"

She had already finished her lunch and gave him a grin, balling up the wrapper and stuffing it into the takeout bag.

"How about now? Got a curfew, my dude?"

Barry stood, reaching to throw the trash in the bin in the corner. He grinned and grabbed a light jacket.

"Not tonight. Ed's at his sister's place so I've got the house to myself and uh... honestly, I'd rather just stay out late."

Lup raised an eyebrow at that, but she didn't question it. Not yet.

"Oh yeah, makes sense. My brother found himself a guy for the summer so I'm basically just drifting. And let me tell you, I would much rather chill with somebody and do nerd shit than like... be stuck in the b-n-b all by my lonesome."

They headed out the door together, talking as they made their way through the streets towards the seashore.

* * *

Far out in the ocean, a single seal swam where she could see what transpired on the shorelands. She watched them each day when she should have been hunting for fish, but what use was hunting when her only pup was stolen away, when his coat was hidden where none could find it and he was trapped. She crested a wave, breaching the surface once more as two figures walked down the sand together, her pup and another. The other was an elf, a land-walker, but not the one who had stolen him. He seemed relaxed, happy even. The seal known as Marlena considered that and wondered.

* * *

They'd been working together for a few weeks now, slowly compiling their log of the seals they could see from the shore. Barry had an old pair of binoculars they shared and sometimes when there were no seals around, they just sat on the dock and talked. Sometimes, they would walk on the sand together and Barry would talk about what things had been like before.

"Years ago, they used to come right up on the shore, especially when there were pups. I uh... I used to love that."

Lup watched Barry as he walked across the sand, his sneakers abandoned back by the low cement wall near the parking area. He looked so happy here, just like that first day they'd met. His words may have been for her, but his gaze was always on the sea. It was almost as though the sea was a lost love, one he was pining away for. But that was ridiculous.

And then Lup's gaze dropped to his footprints through the sand. Each and every one of them was filled with water. Not just the ones near the waves, all of them all the way back to where he'd taken off his sneakers.

She took a shaky breath and set her backpack down, turning to go and check something. She walked back up through the sand, stumbling slightly as the dry sand shifted underneath her. And it didn't do that for him, did it? Lup's pulse was racing when she got back up to the edge of the sand where they'd both left their shoes and she looked at his. There was a slight puddle around them even before they'd gotten anywhere near the water. Barry was a mystery far greater than what she'd thought before and the stories she'd heard on one ship she'd interned on were suddenly flooding back to her. 

Lup raced back down the sand, watching Barry stand with his feet in the water but daring to go no further. She watched him for a long moment, breathing hard and trying to get her words to line up. She meant to ask if he really was what she was strongly beginning to suspect, she wanted to ask where his coat was if the tales were true. Instead? Instead, she blurted out an absolutely inane question.

"Barry, do you know how to swim?"

* * *

What the fuck could he even say to that? Barry wrenched his gaze away from the ocean to look at Lup, pain evident on his face. His chest felt too tight, his heart felt like it was being tugged apart. Of course, he knew how to swim. He'd learned years ago, decades ago, when he'd been a pup by his mother's side splashing in the waves. And of course, he didn't know how to swim in this awkward human shape that lacked flippers and a tail and the blubber to keep him warm. Whatever she was looking for as she looked back at him, she seemed to find it in that moment. She took a step closer, her own bare feet resting on the sand as his sunk in with water pooling around them.

"You can't, can you? And it's not just not knowing, it's..." She paused, tail flicking with indecision, uncertainty. "I heard stories when I was younger, from an old sailor by the name of Merle. He told me about people who looked like us, like... like land folk but could put on a seal skin and swim away. He told me what to look for." Her glance flicked down to his bare feet in the sand. "I thought it was stories but..."

Barry looked away.

"Did he tell you the rest? About what happens if someone takes our coat?"

Lup nodded but Barry was looking away, his eyes on the horizon again almost like he was waiting for something that would never come. 

"Yeah... he... he did." A sudden flash of realization crossed her face and Lup gasped softly. "That's why isn't it? That's why they don't come to shore anymore. Edward took your coat and the rest of them don't want to get caught."

Barry exhaled slowly, relief flooding his veins. He hadn't had to say it, she'd figured it out on her own. He didn't have to skirt around the rules Edward had put him under if she worked it out on her own. 

"I don't know where it is." The words tumbled out of his mouth, his voice shaky. "I've been looking for... for so long, Lup."

She put a hand on his shoulder and met his eyes, determination in her eyes and her mouth twisted in a grin.

"We'll find it. And then I'm gonna kick his ass."

* * *

That was, of course, easier said than done. Barry had ripped the house apart more times than he could count in search of his coat. If Edward had hidden it someplace in his house, it was hidden far better than Barry could find. Lup had her own theories, of course. Did Edward have a job? Did he have places he liked to go on a regular basis? Did he have friends? Was there somewhere outside he might have hidden it? There was also the unspoken question that haunted her: could a selkie's coat be destroyed? What would happen if it was? Would Barry be alright? There were too many questions, too many things to worry about, too many potential places to search and a time limit before Lup would be leaving at the end of the summer.

* * *

Weeks went by and they were running out of options. Worse, Barry was starting to think that Edward suspected something. It wasn't like Barry normally spent a lot of time places other than the beach. And he almost never associated with other people. Just Edward and Lydia and the inexorable draw of the ocean. And now Edward was frowning slightly as he stared at Barry across the table. He set his fork down and leaned forward.

"I know what you're trying to do."

Barry froze, hand hovering just shy of his glass. He looked up slowly, meeting Edward's eyes and trying to look relaxed.

"What are you talking about, Ed?"

His fingers closed around the glass and he pulled it towards him, taking a sip. But Edward reached out and grabbed his other wrist roughly.

"I won't let you find that coat, darling. Not now, not ever. I know you've been looking. But I've hidden it someplace you're not even going to think to look. So why don't you just relax and forget about going back to the sea." His grip on Barry's wrist tightened to the point that it was uncomfortable. "Just be happy with me, dear, and then we don't have to keep going through this every time you get an idea in your head."

Barry started to pull away and pain shot through him as the control held. His shoulders slumped and he settled back in the chair.

"Of course, Ed. I won't do it again."

Edward relaxed his grip and smiled, reaching to pluck a carrot off Barry's plate to pop it into his own mouth. He was all charm now, the monster hiding below gone back to where he lurked most of the time. Tension still hung in the air, but Edward seemed not to notice as he worked his way through his dinner. 

When they were done eating and Barry was gathering up the dishes to clean up, Edward stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"I've been thinking, maybe you and I should move. Somewhere that doesn't have so many pesky memories for you, hmmm? Further... inland."

Barry tensed, terror flashing through him. If that happened, if they did, would he ever be able to get back? Would he be trapped forever? Edward leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll start looking for somewhere. You'll like it, Bear Bear, promise. Maybe I'll even get us someplace with a hot tub. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Barry nodded just slightly.

"Yeah... Sounds great, Ed."

It was a lie though, he would rather die than leave the sea behind.

* * *

Lup was seething. She paced the length of the small room she and Taako were sharing while Barry explained everything that had transpired the night before. He sat on the plush chair in the corner, hands shaking as he clutched a glass of water.

"I don't even know if I can go that much further inland and... and live, Lup. Let alone... Dammit, we've got an even tighter time limit now and I'm stuck, I can't keep looking. He bound me to it."

She stopped in her pacing then, staring off into the distance as she tried to remember everything Merle had told her in those old stories. She looked back at Barry oddly.

"Can he do that without your coat on him?"

He shrugged uncertainly.

"Don't know. Seems like he did, anyway. But... that's everything he told me and... all I'm bound to is to stop looking myself."

Lup grinned slowly.

"Meaning I can keep looking for you. Rad. So now we just need to figure out what this place you'd never look is." Her tail flicked as she reached for her phone. "Wait a second, you said he's got a sister, right? Is she like... local?"

Barry nodded again and reached for the pitcher on the table to refill his glass of water.

"Yeah, her name's Lydia. They're uh... they're twins."

A thought that was forming in Lup's mind solidified as she began texting her own twin.

"Okay, follow me on this one for a second, babe. But if say... she has it and they're twins, could they pull some hoopty shit by their connection? Like... have it function as though he's got it because she does? I'm guessing on the particulars but me and Taako have absolutely done the psychic twin schtick at least once back when I fell out of a tree and broke my arm. So why wouldn't it work with magic bullshit?"

Barry set the pitcher back down with a solid thunk and looked up at Lup in astonishment. It all added up. Edward went to Lydia's place once a month, right around the full moon, and never brought Barry with him. In fact, Barry had hardly ever been over there. Maybe once or twice for Candlenights and even then, he'd been well supervised. He looked up at Lup very slowly.

"That... that could very well be it. But how are you gonna get it?"

Lup shrugged.

"Step one, I'm calling for back up. If anyone can get me in some place I'm not supposed to be, it's Koko."

Barry snorted a laugh and then smiled up at her.

"This... this means a lot to me, you know that right? Like... if you can do this..."

Lup's ears flicked back almost uncomfortably and she gave him a grin.

"Hey now, none of that. I'm just doing what's fuckin' right. You don't deserve any of the shit that's happened to you. And if I can fix it then you know I'm gonna."

The door to the room opened and Taako walked in with a smile on his face and his handsome boyfriend on his arm.

"Good news, Lulu, Krav here knows a thing or two about breaking and entering. And he's even got a car. All we need is an address and we can get this heist going." He gave Barry a nearly identical grin to the one Lup was wearing. "You comin' with or nah?"

Barry stood, trying to gauge exactly how far he could push the boundaries of the binding. Then he nodded. 

"I'm coming. I... I can give you an address too, but I think I'll have to wait in the car."

* * *

Edward didn't think there was any chance that Barry would realize where he'd hidden the coat he'd stolen but it didn't pay to take unnecessary risks. Which, of course, was why he was walking up the walk towards his sister's cozy little house further up the bay. Bright flowers lined the way up to her front door and he pulled out his own key.

"Lydia, darling, are you home?"

He pushed the door open and looked around the living room. A moment later, her voice came from upstairs.

"Up here, Edward, dear. Have you seen the blue dress with the polka dots? I can't find it and I'm supposed to be going to a party tonight."

He laughed to himself as he walked up the stairs.

"Just wear something else."

Her bedroom door stood open and she leaned out into the hallway, hair in curlers and irritation on her face.

"It's a theme party, Edward. I need  _ that _ dress."

He waved that off and stepped into her room.

"I'll help you find it, but we need to hide Barry's coat better."

Lydia paused, putting another light sweater back into her closet.

"Better than it is now? Darling brother, you don't even know where I hid it. Isn't that the best possible spot?"

Edward frowned slightly.

"He's up to something and I'm starting to think he might know it's here. Or at least that I left it with you."

She sighed dramatically and turned away from the closet.

"You look for the dress, I'll go get your precious seal coat and we can hide it even better. Will that make you feel better?"

He hugged her around her shoulders and smiled.

"You know it will, wonderful sister of mine."

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she strode out of the room and went down the hall. Towards the other end of the hall, a rope pull hung from the ceiling. She pulled on it, slowly lowering a rickety flight of stairs that led up to her attic. She took each step with care, grabbing the flashlight that sat on the top step as she proceeded further in. There were her boxes left from moving, books from college, some clothes packed away until winter. There, tucked against one wall were a series of boxes containing clothing sized for a teenage boy, toys, sports trophies, and photographs. It was a collection of bittersweet memories worn with age and covered in a thin coating of dust. Carefully folded under a stack of notebooks labeled KEATS in the messy handwriting of a child was a mottled grey pelt, almost like a hooded jacket. She paused for a long moment looking at her younger brother's things, the only remaining evidence that he had once been in this world, then she pulled the coat out and turned to head back towards the stairs.

"Found it!" Edward's voice echoed up the stairs, a sense of accomplishment in his tone. "And a belt you should pair it with."

Lydia laughed and held the coat out.

"I'll trade you." She held the dress up. "What do you think? Absolutely perfect for knocking the socks off that shy librarian?"

Edward considered, holding the coat against his chest. Then he grinned widely.

"She won't know what hit her." Then he looked down at the coat. "Help me come up with someplace to put this thing and I'll do your make up. Deal?"

She lit up, ears flicking straight up in excitement.

"Absolutely! You always wing the eyeliner so much better than I do."

"That's because you're looking at your reflection. Now come on."

* * *

Kravitz pulled up on the next street over, studying the neighborhood carefully. When his new boyfriend had seemed irritated, tail lashing like he was a furious cat, he'd asked what was wrong. He hadn't been expecting a tale about a selkie with a stolen coat and a potential breaking and entering job that needed to happen. But he'd volunteered for it anyway. After all, what better way to put his ability to pick locks to use than impressing a guy?

The neighborhood itself was small, mostly made up of vacation homes and cottages that had clearly been built decades ago. The house that he was told was the target was a bit bigger, a bit older. That was to their advantage though. Older houses usually made older windows, older doors, and older locks. And probably no security system.

"Alright, one of you is going to need to check and see if anyone is home. All you need to do is look for cars on the premises. That should at least give us an idea. Barry, you know the most about Lydia, what sort of habits does she have around being at home?"

If Lup had had questions about exactly why Taako's summer fling knew so much about home invasion, she obviously didn't feel like it was worth asking at this point. Not with Barry sitting next to her in the backseat practically shaking with terror that all of this was going to go wrong. She'd caught the subtext when he was talking about the potential move earlier, about exactly how strongly he felt about being away from the ocean. She didn't want to let him down. Worse, she didn't want to disappoint him. The feelings were close but there was a subtle difference, one she couldn't afford to explore just yet. Not until they had his coat and they were home free. 

"She's uh... she's not home at night, usually. Not unless Ed is over, anyway. She goes to lots of parties and stuff and stays out late." He shrugged a little. "Odds are, if she is home, she'll be gone before dark."

Kravitz nodded. Then he looked through the people in the car and sighed.

"Apparently, when I said someone should go scout the area, I meant myself. Presumably, Lydia would recognize Barry and I don't want to run the risk of finding out she recognizes either of you two," he nodded at the twins. "I'll go myself and text you the situation, Taako."

Taako nodded and leaned over to kiss Kravitz on the cheek.

"Hell yeah, handsome. You let me know the second you need back up."

Kravitz slipped out of the car and tossed the keys to Taako.

"If I'm not back in twenty minutes, assume the worst."

And then he was gone. For a long moment, Lup just mouthed the words 'assume the worst' while staring at her brother. Taako just shrugged.

"He's fuckin' dramatic sometimes. I think he's like an actor or some shit."

Lup scrubbed at her face and then gestured at him dramatically.

"You think?!"

* * *

Kravitz saw two cars at Lydia's house, one in the driveway and one parked out front on the street. He pulled out his phone, looking around as though he was lost and snapped a picture of the one on the street, texting it to Taako.

_ 'Find out if this is Edward's _ . _ ' _

A moment later came the simple reply. 

_ 'That's the bitch' _

With a grimace, Kravitz kept walking. Other than the fact that obvious both of the twins were present, the house looked like a simple enough job. Two floors, possible attic. It looked like a slab foundation from here so there probably wasn't a basement, which made sense since this area had a high water table. The door looked like a simple single lock situation and there was almost assuredly a backdoor as well. Lots of windows. He went up around the corner and paused on the cliffside where he could see the ocean, snapping another picture like an average tourist. 

_ 'They're both here then. We can wait and see if they leave, but if they take the target with them then we have a problem.' _

He didn't get a reply until he was almost all the way back to the car.

_ 'Cool cool. We can burn that bridge when we get to it. Lulu seems cool with turning this into a smash and grab but I think she just wants to punch Eddie.' _

Kravitz pulled the car door open and slid into the driver's seat. 

"Usually, I would say that's an awful plan but all thing's considered, I think I'm alright with it this once."

Lup's ears flicked up as a huge grin crossed her face.

"Oh hell yes, let's fuckin' do this!" She got out the car and then stopped, leaning back in through the open door. "You gonna be good here, babe? Want us to leave you the keys?" Pause. "Do you know how to drive?"

Barry laughed nervously.

"Not even a tiny bit. Being uh... being perfectly honest, cars scare the shit out of me. But uh... I'll be alright. Be... be careful."

Lup gave him a small smile, not her usual brash grin. It was something more tender, almost more intimate. 

"Don't you worry, we'll be back soon."

Taako and Kravitz were already headed down the street and Lup had to jog after them to catch up. She didn't mind though, she knew she would have regretted it if she left without saying something like that.

* * *

Lydia drummed her fingers on her thigh, trying to think of a better spot for this damn seal coat. Honestly, it was more trouble than it was worth half the time. As if Edward couldn't just get another boyfriend if this one went back to the sea like the wild animal he was. But if her twin was going to insist on keeping him, then she was just going to have to help hhm.

"Brother dear, have you considered that you should just trust me with this one and go back to keeping your pet occupied instead of worrying about how well his stupid coat is hidden? If you stress about it, you might get wrinkles. And we can't have that, now can we?"

"Perish the thought." He sighed dramatically and leaned back in the chair he was sitting on. "I suppose you're making sense though. But if he starts sniffing around over here-"

"Then I'll just distract him until you can come get him back in line. Honestly, Edward. I'll run it back into the attic, you decide which eye shadow goes with the dress."

He couldn't really argue with her, so instead he got up and went to get out her makeup while she headed back up into the attic. When she got back down, he gestured to the color pallet.

"How does this work for you? And how about the three of us get dinner Saturday and you can tell me if you think he's up to something. I might just be too close to the situation, not seeing clearly and all that."

Lydia sat in the chair in front of her vanity and closed her eyes, leaning forward so he could work.

"As long as I get to pick the place."

"Deal."

Neither of them heard the sounds of Kravitz expertly popping the lock on the backdoor followed moments later by Lup and Taako walking inside. They walked through the kitchen and spread out, exploring the first floor as silently as they could. Kravitz scanned the kitchen, looking for any signs of a pet and smiled to himself when he saw none. Good, no little guardians of the home with inconveniently timed barks or tails for the stepping. He spotted the stairs and nodded towards them. If there was no signs of it on this floor, then it was probably concealed somewhere more private like a bedroom or less used like the attic. He could see the attic rope pull and could hear voices. 

"Lydia, dear, did you get a cat?"

There was a sound of disgust.

"Why would I do any such thing? You know I can't stand them."

Kravitz grimaced and signaled Taako and Lup. They needed to move and move now.

"Then what am I hearing downstairs?"

Lup didn't hesitate. She took the stairs two at a time and charged towards the source of the voices. Kravitz was right behind her, moving towards the attic. Taako hesitated for only a split second before racing after his twin. If he'd learned something in their lives, it was that Lup absolutely could not be left alone in situations like this. Not to say that he didn't trust her, it was more that he didn't trust that she would get out if things got bad and he wasn't there to watch her back.

* * *

Back in the car, Barry was getting anxious. Honestly, though, that wasn't all that unusual. It was just that this was a higher level of anxiety than usual. If even a single thing went wrong here, if they got caught, if Edward realized they were looking for his coat, every chance he had at freedom would be gone. He fiddled with the keys for a long moment and then got out of the car, needing air, needing space to move. When he looked up, he realized he could see the ocean from here and for the first time in years, for the first time since he'd been stolen away, he could see more than a seal or two. The water was thick with them, mottled grey bodies bobbing in the waves as they crowded the shores. It was almost as though they knew something important was transpiring in that moment. He hoped they were right. He hoped he would be able to go home soon.

And then a new thought interrupted the light stream of hope, a thought that made his heart ache with a weight he didn't fully understand just yet. If he left and went back to the sea, he might never see Lup again. But if he stayed, would he ever be safe from Edward? He wasn't sure. There was no way to be sure and it hurt.

* * *

Lup slammed through the open door and all but tackled Edward to the floor. She pinned him there with her forearm against his throat. Lydia squeaked in protest, ready to lunge for Lup only to be grabbed from behind by Taako. He got both hands around her tail and tugged, knowing from personal experience that that hurt like a bitch.

"Where is it? Where's his coat?"

Edward sneered and tried to push Lup off of him.

"He's mine, bitch. You can't have him."

Tail thrashing furiously, Lup balled her free hand into a tight fist and pulled her arm back.

"Last try, pretty boy, before I make you a notch less pretty. He's not your pet, he's a fucking person. Where. Is. Barry's. Coat?"

He hesitated for a moment and then snapped out.

"I don't know."

Lup snorted derisively.

"Like I'm gonna believe that."

She started to shift like she was going to bring the full force of her fist to bear on his face when Lydia yelped out.

"He didn't hide it. He's telling the truth."

Then all four of them heard the squeal of the attic door opening and Lydia went pale. She looked back over her shoulder and her ears flicked back. Taako smiled slowly.

"It's up there, isn't it?" He grabbed her arm and pushed her into the hall. "Show my boyfriend where and I won't even think about letting the cops in on the fact that your brother's been holding a dude against his will."

Lydia shot a look back at her brother but went when Taako pulled again. She went up the stairs and straight to her usual hiding place. She pulled the coat out and shoved it into Kravitz's hands. 

"Take it and take him. I don't want to see either ever again. All of this has been more trouble than it's worth."

Kravitz gave Lydia a smile and a bit of a bow before he turned and headed down the stairs.

"Come along, love. We've got what we wanted." He paused halfway down. "Where's your sister?"

They heard a yelp as they got to the bottom of the attic stairs and then Lup walked out of the bedroom with a smug look on her face.

"I punched him. Come on, let's go get Barry." She took the coat from Kravitz, running her fingers over the smooth fur. Her smile turned soft. "I can't wait to see the look on his face."

* * *

When they got back to the car, Barry was standing some distance off staring down towards the water. Lup jogged up alongside him, mouth open and ready to tell him the good news. Then she saw the amassed seals below.

"There must be hundreds of them." She breathed, expression awed.

"At least a dozen pods," Barry confirmed, a wistful expression on his face. Then he turned to face her, eyes widening. "You found it!"

But he hesitated. He didn't reach for the seal skin just yet. Instead, Lup pressed it into his hands.

"It's yours, right? You can... They're waiting for you, right?"

Was it his imagination or did her voice catch?

He held the weight of his coat in his hands and slipped it on, leaving the hood down. For the first time in years, he felt whole. He could feel the tides drawing at his bones and he knew the sea was ready to welcome him home.

"Yeah. That's... that's right. Some of them... You know, that's... that's my family."

Was it her imagination or had he stopped turning all his attention on the ocean?

"Hey, I hate to break up the party, but we need to get out of here before Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum decide they're gonna call the cops. You did sort of escalate our breaking and also entering into assault."

Taako leaned out the window of the car to shout back at them.

"Battery, technically, since she actually hit him," added Kravitz.

Lup smiled at Barry and reached for his hand.

"You up for one more car ride, babe?"

He slipped his hand into hers, trying to ignore his heart pounding in his chest.

"Yeah. Let's go, Lup."

* * *

The ride back to the beach where Barry and Lup had first met was nearly silent. Taako glanced back in the rearview mirror and suddenly realized that Barry and Lup were still holding hands. He didn't say anything though, just looked down and smiled. Lup was a big girl, she would figure it out. And if she didn't figure it out before Barold headed off into the waves, Taako could always just shove her after him and make sure she figured things out in time.

The beach was empty with the sun setting in the distance. Somehow, even the tourists were gone having left the sands to the seals. One swam closest to the shore, an older female seal that Lup recognized instantly. She was the female Barry had always recognized by her bark. And of course, Lup knew why now. Seal pups always recognized their mother's bark. Lup walked hand in hand with Barry towards the seal as she moved onto the sand, and then in a fluid movement, she was a woman, a human in a sealskin coat just like her son.

"Barry."

For the first time since he'd gotten his skin back, Barry let go of Lup's hand and ran towards her.

"Mom!"

Lup stopped there, watching mother embrace son, and felt like an outsider. This wasn't for her, not really, and she felt like she was intruding. And then Barry turned back and held his hand out towards her.

"Lup, come meet my mom. Mom, Lup helped me get my coat back. She's been helping all summer and..." 

His words trailed off and Marlena moved to hug Lup tightly.

"I can't thank you enough." She stepped back, looking Lup and Barry over. Then she gave her son a little smile when she saw the blush on his cheeks. "Barry, my pup, I'm so glad you're safe. And I want you to know that no matter what you do, I'm proud of you."

Before Lup could even begin to wonder what conversation was taking place under the surface, Barry's blush brightened.

"Mom! You can't just... I... I haven't... I didn't..."

She pressed a kiss to her son's forehead and stepped back, looking at the two of them for a long moment. Then she nodded.

"But I know you, Barry." Then she moved to start pulling her hood back up. "And it isn't as though you can't visit."

Lup blinked a few times and then looked at him.

"What exactly is happening because, I'm gonna be real here, it sorta sounds like you two stopped speaking English for a minute there."

Barry reached for her hand again, squeezing it lightly.

"I uh... I guess she... um..."

Lup laughed almost nervously. Then she looked down at their hands and a blush crossed her cheeks.

"Barry, I... I'm leaving at the end of the summer. You know that. I... I knew that before all of this and..."

"And we both still... And... and I can't stay here. He might try to get my coat again."

Taako pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to decide whether or not to shove both of them into the water.

"Lulu, I know you're a fuckin' PhD and all that, but sometimes you're an idiot. Remind the studio audience why you're leaving."

Lup turned slowly to give her brother a look and then started laughing.

"To go live on a boat and study marine mammals! Barry, can we make that work? I mean, is that a thing you want to try? With me?"

Barry looked down and smiled. They were still holding hands and it felt so natural, so right.

"I don't know if it would work, but I'd love to try."

* * *

A few months later, Lup stood on the deck of the SS Starblaster. Unlike the rest of the crew, she wasn't watching the shore fading as the ship pulled away from the dock. Instead, she was leaning over the rail and watching one particular seal with round markings, almost like glasses, as he did his best to keep up. He ducked under the waves and zipped ahead, barking when he popped back out of the water. She laughed at his antics and then heard a quiet chuckle behind her. Turning, Lup was surprised to see Merle Highchurch, the sailor from so long ago, standing behind her.

"I see you found out the stories are true."

Lup started to open her mouth to ask what he meant when she saw the captain of the vessel walking across the deck. Captain Davenport turned and gave her a knowing smile before he adjusted his coat. It was a bright red coat, she noticed, one with a mottled grey lining that didn't seem to be attached. A mottled grey almost like Barry's coat. She looked back at Merle, eyes wide, and he just grinned.

 


End file.
